Many drivers, especially new drivers, have difficulty judging the distance between the front of a vehicle being operated and an obstacle in front of the vehicle. A similar difficulty applies to obstacles to the rear of the vehicle. This is especially problematic when attempting to park a vehicle in an enclosure such as a garage. For example, if an operator of a vehicle overestimates the distance between the front bumper of the vehicle and the rear wall of the garage (or other obstruction in front of the vehicle), the operator may cause the vehicle to strike the wall (or other obstruction) possibly damaging the wall and/or vehicle and requiring expensive repairs or replacement. If, on the other hand, the operator underestimates the distance between the front bumper of the vehicle and the rear wall of the garage, the operator may prematurely park the vehicle before the vehicle is pulled completely into the garage. In this case, the rear of the vehicle may not clear the garage door and be struck thereby when the garage door is closed possibly damaging the vehicle and/or the garage door itself and again necessitating potentially expensive repairs.
It is also known that vehicle garages often become storage areas for a myriad of items such as lawn mowers, gardening equipment, tools, bicycles, luggage, etc. further complicating the positioning of a vehicle in a garage. Thus, to optimize useful space within a garage, it may be desirable to laterally position a vehicle only far enough from at least one side wall of the garage to enable the side door or doors of the vehicle to be fully opened to enable passengers and driver to enter and exit the vehicle. If the vehicle is parked too close to a side wall, it may be impossible to fully open the vehicle doors adjacent the sidewall. Furthermore, a side door may be caused to strike a sidewall (or other obstruction) if insufficient space is provided between the side of the vehicle and the sidewall (or other obstruction) resulting in possible damage to the door and/or the side wall.
Many techniques, some simple and some complex, have been developed to assist an operator of a vehicle with the positioning of a vehicle within a garage. Virtually everyone is familiar with the well-known tennis ball suspended on a string from the ceiling of a garage. It is also well known to place an obstacle (e.g. a piece of lumber) in the path of the vehicle to mark a desired location. Both techniques are inexpensive and simple to implement; however, both have disadvantages. The piece of lumber can be inadvertently moved from its desired location. If secured to the garage floor, the lumber becomes a hazard that could cause someone to trip and fall. While the dangling tennis ball represents less of a hazard, it can still be annoying. Furthermore, these approaches provide little assistance with respect to the lateral positioning of the vehicle.
Other mechanical arrangements are known for assisting in the positioning of a vehicle in a garage. Some of these involve the use of guides affixed to the garage floor, ceiling, and/or walls. Vertical or horizontal line-of-sight posts may be employed to assist the vehicle's operator. Still other mechanical arrangements may utilize levers, rods, floor sensors, and/or switches including pressure switches that are physically engaged by the vehicle when the vehicle is properly positioned within the garage.
In addition to the above described mechanical systems, various electrical-based automobile positioning systems have been developed. For example, an electronic version of the dangling tennis ball includes a housing that contains an electrical circuit including a light bulb and a switch. The switch operates to light and unlight the bulb. A power supply and a cord suspend the housing from the ceiling of a garage into the pathway of a vehicle to be parked. When the housing is contacted by the vehicle, the switch is closed causing the bulb to light and signal the driver that the vehicle has reached its predetermined parking position.
In some cases, parking assistance systems may include complex arrangements of transmitters and sensors (e.g. infrared) located, for example, on or proximate to the garage door. Ultrasonic pulse generators and associated circuitry have also been employed to alert a driver when a vehicle has reached a predetermined position. Furthermore, optical systems utilizing video cameras, mirrors (e.g. to reflect brake lights to the operator of the vehicle), projection systems, and the like have been employed in vehicle parking assistance systems.
Parking assistance systems of the types described above suffer certain disadvantages. For example, many prior art systems rely on a driver's line of sight, which may vary from driver to driver. Thus, the system may have to be adjusted and/or recalibrated for each new driver. Mechanical systems are subject to being damaged themselves due to repeated impact and/or contact with the vehicle itself. Generally speaking, many of the prior art systems are high cost and relatively complex. Although less reliable, prior art devices intended for home use are less expensive, they are also less reliable. Thus, it should be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a vehicle parking assistance system which combines the reliability and accuracy of complex, high cost vehicle positioning systems with the low cost and simplicity of less sophisticated systems. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.